


His Glasshouse

by lowermiddlechild



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Love, Fluff, Greenhouse, Latin, M/M, Tutor AU, there's one homophobic slur, with some angst thrown in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 12:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5375387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lowermiddlechild/pseuds/lowermiddlechild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>greenhouses, gays, and latin</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Glasshouse

**Author's Note:**

> *shows up to daisuga week late w/o starbucks bc im poor* hey guys. so this is my first time writing for hq!! and since daisuga is my otp to end all otps, i figured now was a good time to start. 
> 
> this fic is dedicated to the absolutely amazing lee (onesmolhomo on tumblr) and was beta'd by the equally amazing desiree (redrumwitch on tumblr)
> 
> please enjoy :)))

“You can’t be serious.”

“You said you wanted a summer job so I found you a summer job. Am I the best big sister in the world or what?”

“Yui, you’re older than me by 4 minutes and tutoring Latin? Really? You couldn’t have found me something more interesting?”

“Be grateful I found you anything at all! Besides, they’re paying good money, Daichi. I’d do it myself if I had better grades.” Yui said reprovingly. Daichi shot her a look that told Yui exactly how crazy he thought she was. She shrugged and just handed him the phone, stretching it’s cord to the max, and the piece of paper that had Mrs. Sugawara’s number written on it.

Daichi sighed. “I guess you’re right. I do need the money.” With that he dialled the number and crossed his fingers, hoping he wasn’t ruining his summer.

Mrs. Sugawara answered on the second ring and her voice came across the telephone line clear and crisp. She wasted no time, immediately asking Daichi what high school he went to, what his grades were like, if he was planning to go to college after he graduated or not. Daichi answered each of her rapid fire questions as best as he could, trying to come across as sincere and trustworthy. He must have succeeded because ten minutes later he was officially a Latin tutor.

The next day saw Daichi struggling to pick out a shirt that made him seem responsible when Yui leaned against his door frame, rapping her knuckles on his door with a smirk on her face. “Wear the green one. It looks good with your skin tone.” He shot her a smile as he pulled on the shirt she suggested and grabbed his backpack. She followed him out to the door and gave him a quick hug before Daichi hopped on his bike and sped off towards the Sugawara’s house. 

“What have I gotten him into,” Yui wondered as she watched her brother pedal away.

Daichi stopped in front of the house he thought was the Sugawara’s nearly 15 minutes later and looked down at the address scrawled on a scrap piece of paper. He was pretty sure that he was at the right place but the house in front of him looked so strange when he compared it to the cookie cutter homes in his own neighborhood that he felt the need to double check. The Sugawara’s home was a large white house, in an older style with two columns and a lantern occupying the front panel of the house and a large wrought iron fence surrounding the property. Ivy covered the fence as and had begun to creep it’s way up the side of the house as well. In the mid afternoon sun the green of the ivy leaves was a rich emerald and Daichi spent a moment appreciating how stately the Sugawara’s home looked. 

One more second to take it in and Daichi jumped off of his bike and chained it to the fence before he made his way to the front door. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell, waiting anxiously for someone to answer. Daichi had only ever had a job as a newspaper boy before becoming a tutor and he was nervous to be teaching Latin to someone he’d never met. According to Mrs. Sugawara, her son was a complete beginner to the long dead language so at least Daichi wouldn’t have to try too hard to stay ahead of him.

When the door finally swung open Daichi turned, expecting to see Mrs. Sugawara. Instead the most beautiful boy Daichi had ever seen stood in the doorway. He was nearly as tall as Daichi, though where Daichi was solid, the boy was slim. His silvery blond hair shone in the sunlight and the beauty mark under his eye stood out again his pale skin. He was dressed in a simple pair of pale blue pants and a white t-shirt with a pencil stuck behind one ear and a pair of glasses in his front pocket. Daichi stared, unable to make his mouth work. Fortunately, the boy seemed to be expecting him.

“Ah! You must be Sawamura-san! It’s so nice to meet you; I’m very excited to work with you this summer.” The boy smiled sweetly at Daichi and he could feel a blush make it’s way to his cheeks. The boy noticed and laughed. “I’m so sorry. I’m Sugawara Koushi but I go by Suga. I’ll be your student this summer.”

Just then a tall, thin women with the same silvery blonde hair as Suga and a purse over her arm came into the hallway. “Suga, don’t make him stand outside. Invite him in so you can get started.” 

Suga replied without taking his eyes off of Daichi or losing the happy smile on his face. “Of course, mother. Please, Sawamura-san come in.”

Suga stepped backwards into the hallway and Daichi followed him into the house, momentarily distracted from Suga and able to take in more of his surroundings. There was a large staircase coming out from the wall in front of Daichi, it’s dark wood polished and shining in the light pouring in from the windows. There was a dining room to Daichi’s left and he only had time to take in a large oval table covered in a white tablecloth before Suga began leading him down the hall. 

“Where are you going Suga? Take him to the study.” Mrs. Sugawara said. Suga turned to her, smile still in place. 

“I was going to go to the sun room, mother. The light’s better in there.” 

“That’s fine then,” She said as she turned to Daichi. “This week can be a trial week and afterwards we can discuss a payment schedule.” Daichi nodded and she seemed satisfied with his response. She said nothing more, just gave him a nod before she left the house, shutting the door behind her. 

The two boys walked through the hallway and a kitchen before they got to the room Suga wanted. Daichi could easily understand why it was called the sunroom. Two of the walls were built with large windows descending from the ceiling to waist level and made the room seem larger than it actually was. The summer sun streamed into the room and it was almost uncomfortably warm. A square table has been placed against one of the window walls and it was to this table that Suga led Daichi.

“The sunroom is my favorite room in the house.” Suga explained conspiratorially. “Normally she’d want us somewhere like the library or the study but mother can’t deny that the sunroom has great light for reading! If it’s for academics, she’s fairly easy to sway. Don’t think this is a pretty room Sawamura-san?” With that Suga’s sweet smile from before seemed a little less innocent and Daichi got the distinct impression that Suga was less angelic than the light shining on his hair made him seem. Daichi looked away to collect his thought and grabbed his backpack, pulling out a notebook and his Latin workbook.

“It’s nice in here,” Daichi agreed. “Let’s get started.”

Suga nodded, pulling the pencil from behind his ear, putting on his glasses, and giving Daichi a thumbs up. “I’m ready, Sawamura-san.”

“Just call me Daichi.”

~~~~

On the first day Daichi stayed at the Sugawara house until just before sunset. Suga had proved to be a quick learner and the time flew by for the two of them. Before he knew it Daichi was waving goodbye to Suga from the road, his bike’s handlebars held steady with one hand. After that it became routine for Daichi to get up in the morning, go for a run, look over what he wanted to teach Suga that day while eating breakfast, and then hop on his bike and pedal his way to the Sugawara’s. Despite Mrs. Sugawara’s assurance that he would be on a trial run for the first week, Daichi hadn’t seen her since the first day. When he asked Suga about it, the other boy had shrugged.

“Mother works a lot. I was surprised she was home the first time you came here. Don’t worry though, I’m sure she’ll talk to you before the week is up. She’s not one to forget a business commitment.” He seemed completely at ease with the situation so Daichi let it drop, decided to trust Suga’s words. They worked their way through another couple of vocabulary words and Suga seemed to be getting tired. He rubbed his eyes under his glasses, yawning into one hand. 

“Can we take a short break Daichi? I could use a mug of tea. Would you like some?” Suga asked.

“Um, tea? Like what old British people drink?” 

Suga let out a laugh and pushed back his chair.

“I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, so just wait right here,” He said with a smile and obvious excitement. Daichi sat for a minute bored and a little nervous. He was starting to realize that Suga made him nervous. With Latin work and Suga himself to distract him, Daichi had easily gotten past the feeling, but now that both of his distractions were gone, the nerves were creeping back in and Daichi grabbed a pencil, randomly conjugating verbs to keep his hands busy and his mind occupied. 

When Suga returned, two mugs with spoons in his hands. “Do you ever stop working on Latin?”

Daichi looked up from his paper and smiled at Suga. “Sometimes I bike places.” 

Suga handed him one of the mugs, careful not to spill any of it’s contents before he said, “You know I know very little about you. Enlighten me, Tutor-san.” 

Daichi looked down at his mug, fiddling with the spoon. “There’s not much to know, Suga.”

“Then this shouldn’t take too long.” Suga replied firmly. Daichi sighed.

“Okay, well, um, what do you want to know?”

“Let’s start with your family.”

“Okay well there’s nine of us.”

“Nine?” Suga echoed, sure he’d misheard.

“Um, yea. We’re Catholic. There’s me and my mom and my dad, and Yui, Asahi, Chikara, Ryuu, Shouyou, and Yachi.” Daichi answered, holding up his hands to count them off. Suga was looking at him with wonder in his eyes and it occurred to Daichi that Suga had never had a large family. “Yui and I are twins. We’re the oldest at seventeen. Yui’s a bit of a mess but she’s my best friend. Then comes Asahi, he’s eleven and a wuss, Chikara and Ryuu are ten and nine, two polar opposites but they’re thick as thieves, Shouyou is next, he’s seven and he’s a constant ball of energy, and then there’s Yachi, now she’s the youngest and we all spoil her rotten but I’ve never met a sweeter six year old.”

“They sound like so much fun.” Suga sighed wistfully. “I’ve never had any siblings.”

“They’re alright,” Daichi admitted. “A bit of a handful. You’d fit right in.”

Suga stuck his tongue out at him in response. “Hush and try your tea before it gets cold.”

Daichi laughed and obediently lifted the mug to his lips “Yes, sir.” 

~~~~

Three days later the front door is opened by Mrs. Sugawara instead of her son. The woman is crisp and straight to the point and after a brief evaluation of what he’s been teaching Suga, Daichi walks out of her office with a decent paycheck and an official summer job. Suga’s sitting on the steps, waiting for him Daichi realizes, and his mother pats Suga’s shoulder on her way out. The door shuts behind her as the boys head to the sunroom. 

Suga makes it about halfway through what Daichi had planned for him that day before he starts to lose focus. It starts off small, just Suga tapping his pencil against the table as Daichi explains the phrase he’d been stuck on, but it gets worse. Soon Daichi can tell that he’s losing Suga’s attention to the windows all around them, so he waits until Suga finishes the line of translation he had been working on and then shuts the textbook they’d been using and suggests they go outside for a bit. Suga’s eyes shine with gratitude and Daichi knows he made the right choice.

The Sugawara’s backyard is huge compared to what Daichi is used to. It’s mostly made of woods but he can’t see the end of the fence that surrounds the property. He’s about to ask Suga what he wants to do but Suga beats him to the punch as he says,

“Want to see my pride and joy?”

Daichi grins and allows himself to be led over to a small greenhouse situated at the edge of the property, close to the house. Suga pushes open the door, excited just being inside the greenhouse. Daichi can see why. The shelves are covered in wooden crates, plants, and gardening tools. There’s dirt on the ground and pots are stacked haphazardly in one corner while green vines with little white flowers climbing the walls and twining around strings that Suga must have tied to go across the ceiling. The greenhouse is homey in a way that most of the main house isn’t and it’s clear that this is Suga’s place. He immediately pulls Daichi inside and hands him a watering can as he shows him over to a sink near the door. Suga’s pointing out plants as they pass them, only occasionally giving an actual explanation of what kind of plant it is, instead he tells Daichi what he’s named them and their apparently quite feisty personalities.

“That girl over there is Donna, she’s a gossip, always leaning over into the phlox’s crate. Greg is this guy here and he likes to think he’s stoic but he’s actually pretty needy; I have to water him nearly every day.” Suga said fondly as he bustled around from plant to plant. Daichi just relaxed, taking him in. At one point Suga looked at him with his hands elbow deep in potting soil as he explains why he puts some plants in crates with others and why some get their own pots, making some ridiculous comment, and as Suga laughs at his own joke, Daichi’s heart skips a beat and he tells himself that he imagined it. 

They don’t finish the rest of Daichi’s lesson that day but nevertheless, they end up taking long breaks in the greenhouse at least twice in the next few days.

~~~~

It’s been about two weeks since the first day of tutoring and Daichi has learned a lot about Suga. Not just the simple things like his favorite book (A Separate Peace by John Knowles) or his favorite color (pale blue, like the pants he wore on the first day) but the deeper things that Suga hasn’t outright told him. Daichi learns that Suga is lonely and it’s this knowledge that convinces Daichi to shove a few extra items into his backpack before heading over to the Sugawara’s. 

He doesn’t mention them until late afternoon when the two boys decide to take a break from verb conjugations and head outside. This time when Suga starts towards the greenhouse, Daichi calls out for him to wait and bends down to pull out a baseball and two mitts. 

“Today let’s do something different,” he says with a grin. 

“Baseball? Don’t you need a lot more people to play baseball?” Suga asks, tilting his head in a way that is too cute for Daichi to believe it’s unintentional.

“You only need two people to play catch,” he replies, tossing a mitt in Suga’s direction. He still looks skeptical, but he pulls on the glove without any more questions. That afternoon Daichi learns a few more things about Suga. The first is that he has no aim, but great arm strength and as a result Daichi keeps having to run after the ball. 

“Didn’t your dad ever teach you to throw a baseball when you were a kid?” Daichi asked jokingly when the baseball soars high over his head for the fifth time.

“No, he died when I was young,” Suga answered.

Daichi froze. “Ah, I’m so sorry Suga.”

Suga shrugged, eyes downcast. “Don’t be. He wasn’t around much anyway.” He looked back up at Daichi, his usual smile back in place. “Besides, I’m sure my excellent tutor can teach me!”

After that Suga and Daichi play catch for a little bit nearly everyday until Suga can throw it straight to Daichi every single time.

~~~~

It’s been two days since Suga first managed to get the baseball into Daichi’s mitt with every throw and they’re outside taking a well needed break from grammar when it happens. One second Suga’s laughing at the absolutely awful joke Daichi just told him and the next he’s bent over coughing, unable to catch his breath. Daichi ran over to him, unsure of how to help, but ready to try anything. When the fit finally stops, Suga was paler than usual and shaking. Daichi helped him into the house and laid him out on the couch in the sun room. Later that afternoon Mrs. Sugawara found the two boys there, Suga asleep on the couch, Daichi sitting on the floor, his head on the couch, also fast asleep.

She wakes Daichi up quietly and indicates that he should be going. At the door Daichi tells her about Suga’s coughing fit and she agrees to have a doctor check in on him with an odd look in her eyes. 

Mrs. Sugawara is the one to answer the door the next day Daichi comes over. She informs him that Suga is sick and isn’t up for tutoring that day. Daichi just nods and holds up the worksheets he’d made, asking if he could drop them off and say hello to Suga. She seems hesitant, but a voice behind her tells her to let him in and she does so without complaint. The man coming down the stairs wears a white lab coat over his broad shoulders and the medical bag in his hand tell Daichi that he’s some kind of doctor, though his long blond hair, pushed back with a hair band, makes him seem too wild to be a professional.

The doctor turns to Daichi and looks him up and down with a smirk on his face. “So you’re Daichi, huh?”

“Uh, yes sir.” 

“Suga talks a lot about you. He says you’re pretty good with school.” The doctor has a thoughtful look on his face and Daichi isn’t sure how to respond to the doctor when he is saved the trouble by the man himself. “I’m Dr. Ukai. If you ever get interested in medicine as a career, let me know.” 

Daichi is presented with a business card and when he takes it, Ukai turns from him to Mrs. Sugawara. “Keep him in bed until his color goes completely back to normal. Should be a few days. Keep him drinking fluids. Otherwise there’s not much we can do at this point.” His eyes slide over to Daichi. “Should be okay for tutoring by the day after tomorrow.”

With that the doctor leaves and Mrs. Sugawara looks at Daichi. 

“Up the stairs, second room on the left. Be quick; he needs his rest.”

Daichi nods and takes the stairs two at a time. Two quick knocks on Suga’s door and he hears a quiet voice telling him to come in. Daichi opens the door to find his friend laying down in a huge white bed. The rest of the room seems pretty plain, cream walls and dark wood furniture and nothing that would let someone know that this room is Suga’s, but the bed is incredible and Daichi’s mind flashes back to the bed he shares with Asahi. He quickly pushes the thought out of his mind and walks over to Suga.

“I’m surprised you came today.” Suga’s looking at him like he’s been waiting all day for this and Daichi can’t help the fondness that swells in his chest.

“Yeah, well, I had to drop off these worksheets for you. Can’t get away from Latin that easily,” he says with a smile. Suga chuckles but it turns into a cough and Daichi is immediately worried. When the coughing fit finally subsides Suga seems exhausted.

“I think I’m going to take a nap,” he says, attempting to sound casual, but Daichi can hear the strain in his voice. “I’ll see you Monday, okay?” 

“Of course. Goodbye, Suga. Hope you feel better soon.” Daichi backs out of the room and says a vague goodbye to Mrs. Sugawara on the way out, head in a daze for the entire bike ride home.

The next day is Sunday and Daichi’s day off. He spends the morning at church with his family, keeping Ryuu and Shoyou from climbing the pews all while worrying about Suga. He thought he was doing a pretty good job of controlling it until Asahi asked him what was wrong and Daichi snapped at his little brother. Tears welled up in Asahi’s eyes and guilt slams through Daichi. He quickly apologizes to his little brother and explains that one of his friends is sick and that he’s worried about him. Asahi, the angel that he is, listens quietly and though he’s the one that was snapped at, Asahi reaches out to his brother and pulls him in for a hug. Daichi holds him tightly, grateful for his family in a way that he’s never been before.

Suga is still on bedrest when Daichi comes on Monday so he pulls up a chair next to the bed and starts reading from a copy of The Odyssey. He figures it won’t hurt to learn some of the history and mythology surrounding Latin and this way all Suga has to do is listen, though of course Suga gets invested in the characters early on. 

“Odysseus is just so smart and so strong, I can’t believe how unlucky he is. Mistake after mistake, problem after problem, it’s just so sad!” Suga cries after Odysseus’s ship is destroyed and he is left as the only survivor. 

“Do you want me to stop reading?” Daichi asks. It’s his third day of reading to Suga and he’s impressed that Suga has kept up with the story so well, considering his condition. Though, Daichi reminds himself, Suga has been getting better, even if it is at a slower rate than Dr. Ukai had predicted.

“Of course not! I have to know what happens with Penelope!” Suga exclaims and Daichi laughs before he continuess to read.

When he gets home that night, he feels uneasy about Suga’s health. He’d had another coughing fit just as Daichi was getting ready to leave and Daichi had never felt more helpless. Yui must have noticed something in the way her twin was acting because after dinner she followed him to the room he shared with Asahi, Chikara, and Ryuu, flopping down on his bed as Daichi changed into an old t-shirt and boxers to sleep in. 

“How’s Suga doing?”

“He’s been getting better.”

“You don’t sound as happy as you should,” Yui observed.

Daichi shook his head. “I’m just worried about him. Dr. Ukai didn’t think it would take this long for him to get better.” Yui stared at him.

“Oh man, you care about him,” she said in awe.

“What? He’s my friend and he’s sick, of course I care about him,” Daichi sputtered unconvincingly. 

“No, you _really care about him._ ” Daichi opened his mouth to disagree with what she was implying but Yui cut him off. “Come on Dai, I know you better than you know yourself.”

He sighed and sat down on the bed next to her. “Yeah okay, I care but it’s just a stupid little crush. It’ll go away just like all of the others.” He sounded so resigned to his fate that Yui patted his knee in sympathy and changed the subject.

~~~

“Good afternoon, Daichi!” Suga’s smiling face greeted Daichi from behind the front door.

“Suga! You’re out of bed,” Daichi said, surprised and delighted.

“Yup! Dr. Ukai gave me the all clear this morning.” Suga grabbed his arms and pulled him inside, “And you know what we haven’t done in a while?”

“What?”

“Gone out to the greenhouse!” Suga spun around and led the way to the backyard with Daichi trailing behind him, not even bothering to remind him that they were supposed to be working on Latin. Suga seemed so cheery and excited to be outside that Daichi couldn’t bring himself to spoil his fun.

“I’ve been waiting all day for you to get here because Mother won’t let me go out alone and she hates the dirt in the greenhouse too much to come with me,” Suga explained as he opened the door. Just being inside of the greenhouse perked him up. His shoulders relaxed and he leaned back against Daichi in the doorway, eyes closed, letting himself enjoy being surrounded by plants again. For his part, Daichi was surprised by the contact but he knew how awful the week had been for Suga so he slid an arm around his waist to hold him up and quietly bore Suga’s weight while he had his moment.

After a couple of seconds Suga opened his eyes. “I hated being kept in that house all week even though I know it’s important to not push myself when I’m sick. And I’m sorry for dragging you out here with me. It’s just that coming out here feels like coming home, you know?” With his last sentence Suga turned his head to face Daichi’s, waiting for some kind of reaction.

Daichi looked down at him and in the blink of an eye took in the way the sunlight made his eyes shine and the soft smile on his lips made Daichi’s brain short circuit. In the span of a second, without a single conscious thought, Daichi leaned down and pressed his lips to Suga’s, just a simple kiss, and his world felt right… until it all came crashing down and in the blink of an eye. Daichi hurriedly pushed himself away from Suga who was standing as if in a daze.

“Suga, I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know, I just-” Daichi ran a hand through his hair as he backed out of the greenhouse. “I’m so so sorry.”

“Daichi…” Suga reached out a hand towards him and Daichi flinched and turned and hurried back towards the house. “Daichi, wait!” Suga called after him but he kept going. Through the sun room, then the kitchen, the living room, the hallway, and finally, out the front door. Daichi didn’t stop moving until he made it to his room and flung himself onto his bed.

He’d kissed Suga. He’d done exactly what he’d told himself he wouldn’t and to top it all off he’d left after barely 30 minutes. He’d lost Suga and his summer job all in one go. 

Daichi spent the rest of the evening waiting for a phone call from Mrs. Sugawara telling him never to come back. Both his parents and Yui came to check on him, but all he would tell them was that he’d made a mistake. His parents tried to tell him that one mistake wouldn’t get him fired but when Yui noticed the look in his eyes, she herded their parents from the room, leaving Daichi alone with only a sympathetic look tossed over her shoulder. That night each and every one of Daichi’s sibling came in to give him a hug or a kiss goodnight. Little Yachi held on extra tightly and the hole eating away at Daichi’s stomach lessened just a little.

As the next morning passed and still the phone didn’t ring, Daichi began to become cautiously optimistic that Suga had decided to pretend that it never happened. As he packs up his backpack, Daichi resolves to act like nothing ever happened in order to preserve his and Suga’s working relationship if not their friendship. 

The bike ride to the Sugawara house has never felt this long, Daichi’s anxiety drawing out every minute of pedaling. He walks up to the Sugawara front door and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves before he knocks. Barely a second after he raps his knuckles against the door and it’s flung open with a cry of “Daichi!”

The next thing he knows, Suga has flung himself at Daichi, giving him a hug before he leans up to press his lips to Daichi’s cheek. Daichi’s arms automatically come up to keep Suga from falling and he’s so surprised at Suga’s behavior that all he can manage to stutter out is a shaky hello.

Suga leans back, still in Daichi’s arms, and looks up at him. “You didn’t give me a chance to respond yesterday. So here’s my answer: I’m really, really glad you did that, Daichi! Could you do it again?”

“Um, yeah, sure, definitely,” Daichi sputtered out. Suga grinned at him and for a second Daichi didn’t move but once the other boy’s request processed, he leaned in to give Suga a careful kiss. Suga pressed back and Daichi could feel Suga smile against his mouth. When the two pulled back from each other, Daichi was finally able to take in what had happened and he could help but smile. Suga laughed happily at the look on Daichi’s face and kissed him again, just a quick peck, before he pulled back and grabbed Daichi’s hand.

“Let me make us some tea and then we’re going to spend some time in the greenhouse, okay? I barely got any time there yesterday!” Daichi nodded and as Suga turned to go into the house, instead of letting go of his hand, Daichi laced their fingers together and allowed himself to be led inside. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the greenhouse, Suga working with his plants and doing some light cleaning while Daichi read a copy of “A Separate Peace” that Suga kept in the greenhouse for days when he just wanted to spend time there. The afternoon was filled with sweet kisses and playful teasing, the Latin work in Daichi’s backpack forgotten for the day.

~~~~

The month of June flew by for the two boys and before they knew it, the day of the midsummer festival had arrived. Suga had been in and out of bed rest for the past couple of weeks, but he was determined to go.

“I haven’t been out of the house in ages! And if Daichi’s there I’ll be okay,” Suga pleaded to his mother as Daichi listened from around the corner. With all of the ups and downs in Suga’s health, he wasn’t sure if the festival was such a good idea but Suga had given him a look that could melt the coldest heart and a few kisses later, Daichi had agreed to take him under one condition: his mother and Dr. Ukai had to approve. Suga had pouted for a second, but eventually agreed to Daichi’s terms. Daichi shook his head to clear the memories and tuned back in to hear Mrs. Sugawara’s answer.

“Well if he’ll take you and Dr. Ukai has approved it then you can do what you want.” Suga uttered a happy thank you at her words and rushed out of the room and into Daichi’s arms.

Daichi caught him and said, “I’m going to head home and help my parents get my siblings ready for the festival and then I’ll come back to pick you up, okay?” Suga nodded, and Daichi could feel the excited smile on his face even as he kissed him goodbye at the door.

Daichi rushed home, excited to give Suga a good night away from his house. Normally he was in charge of his younger siblings during the festival in order to give his parents a break but this year Yui had offered to watch over the kids so Daichi could take Suga around the festival without having to worry about them, as long as Daichi helped her get them ready. He had readily agreed and now he sat braiding Yachi and Asahi’s hair to keep it out of their faces while they ran around the festival. Ryuu had to be convinced to wear a shirt and Shouyou needed someone to tie his shoes but finally everyone was ready and Daichi had just enough time to shower and throw on the shirt Yui had picked out for him.

“Black because it makes you look older, more mature,” she had said with a wink as Daichi blushed and looked away.

He waved goodbye to his family before hopping onto his bike and heading for the Sugawara’s. Suga opened the door, his face glowing with excitement and Daichi took a second to look him up and down, admiring the way his navy pants hugged his legs and his white button down followed the line of his slim waist. Daichi was just about to comment on how good he looked when Mrs. Sugawara called from inside the house.

“Take good care of him Sawamura-san. Bring him right back if it seems like anything is wrong. You’ll be paid extra for tonight; it was kind of you to agree to take him out in the first place.”

“It’s no problem ma’am,” Daichi assured her. Mrs. Sugawara didn’t say anything else and Suga called out a goodbye, grabbing Daichi’s arm to pull him along towards his bike. The front door closed after him and Suga turned to Daichi where they stood in the driveway. Before Daichi could say a single word, Suga’s lips were on his and Suga’s arms had wound themselves around his neck. He responded by placing his hands on Suga waist and tugging him closer, slotting their lips to deepen the kiss. After a minute Suga pulled away, a smile that was dangerously close to a smirk on his face.

“How’s that for a hello?” Suga said with a wink. Daichi just laughed and showed Suga how to get onto the piece he’d attached over the back wheel as a place for another person to sit. Suga’s arms snuck around Daichi’s middle and he traced light patterns into Daichi’s stomach through his shirt as he began pedalling. It was a little distracting but Daichi managed to get the two of them to the festival without crashing, so he considered the ride a success.

The sun was just starting to set as the two boys went around to the game stalls and tried their luck at winning prizes. Suga was fairly awful at nearly every game he tried but he managed to charm nearly every stall worker that he talks to into giving him a free try. Daichi has better luck with the games and even though he has to pay to play them, he wins a small prize from one of the ball tossing stalls. 

“Pick which one you want, Suga.” He said trying to seem casual but when he glances at Suga and sees how happy he looks pointing to a stuffed bird hanging from the ceiling and chatting with the booth attendant about how cute it is, Daichi can’t help but smile. Suga has had an unbridled enthusiasm for everything they’ve done that day and Daichi wonders when he last left his house. Eventually, they wander over to the food stalls and Daichi’s in the middle of asking Suga if there’s anything he wants to eat when they hear someone shout Daichi’s name. He spins around just in time to catch Ryuu as he leaps towards him. Daichi let’s Ryuu’s momentum carry him and spins him around in the air before setting him back on the ground.

“Daichi!” He looks up to see Yui walking towards him, the other Sawamura siblings surrounding her.

Daichi turns to a stunned Suga, his eyes wide as he takes in the children running around him, asking him questions.

“You’re Sugawara-san, right? Dai-chan says you like plants!”

“Dai-chan said you have really bad aim when you throw balls. Have you hit him with one before?”

“How did you get your hair so light? Can you do it to mine?”

“Dai-chan said you’re very pretty. I think he’s right even if you are a boy.” The last one came from Yachi, all innocence and embarrassment for the two boys in front of her.

Suga looked a little overwhelmed, so Daichi wades through the sea of his siblings to put an arm around Suga’s shoulders. “Okay everyone that’s enough,” he says in his best big brother voice. Obediently the children give Suga some space and pause their questions long enough for Daichi to introduce them. The kids all seem enthralled by Suga, Asahi and Yachi especially, as he tells them all that it’s nice to meet them. Yui steps in then and herds them away, calling out that it was nice to meet Suga as they head off toward the ice cream stall.

“Sorry about them,” Daichi says as he rubs the back of his neck self consciously. Suga just smiles at him and lifts one of Daichi’s hands to his lips, causing Daichi to blush.

“They seems sweet.” With Suga looking at him that him like that, Daichi can almost believe it.

“And Daichi? Thanks for taking me out tonight. It feels so good to be out of that house! Sometimes I feel like it’s a haunted house and I’m the one haunting it.” Daichi looked at him in confusion. “You know, like a ghost, really pale, never leaves?” Daichi rolls his eyes, shakes his head and leads a giggling Suga over to the food stalls.

It isn’t until much later as they sit down to watch the fireworks show, the lights from the festival dimmed, and the field they’re in packed with people, that Suga carefully threads his fingers through Daichi’s. Daichi looks down at their hands and then glances around. Suga lays his head on Daichi’s shoulder and Daichi flinches.

“Relax,” Suga whispers into his ear, “everyone’s paying attention to the fireworks.” He then presses a kiss to Daichi’s cheek and he is finally able to relax. They watch the fireworks show cuddled together and just before the grand finale, Suga turns to say something to Daichi and is interrupted with a kiss. It’s one of the most romantic things Daichi’s ever done but he can’t help but feel romantic when he’s with Suga. It’s the perfect end to the festival and both boys find themselves wishing that it would never end.

It isn’t until later that night that reality sets in for Daichi. Yui pulls him aside and whispers in his ear, “I’m glad you’ve found someone that makes you happy, but be careful, okay? You know what this town is like.”

~~~~

Over the next few days no one mentions anything unusual about the midsummer festival and Daichi begins to hope that Yui was the only to see him and Suga kissing. It’s been a full week when he knocks on the Sugawara’s door and it’s opened by a red rim eyed Suga. He looks at Daichi and tears well up in his eyes and he launches himself at Daichi. There’s no kiss on the cheek this time, only sobs that wrack through Suga body as Daichi holds him. 

“Suga what’s wrong?” It takes him a couple of minutes to calm down enough to let go of Daichi’s shirt, but eventually he pulls away, wiping his eyes, still hiccuping. 

“The greenhouse… they broke... and after everything that’s… Daichi, I just.” Suga’s still breathing in short, gasping breaths and Daichi’s worried about his illness so he pulls Suga back into his arms and guides him into the house. He makes Suga sit at the counter in the kitchen as Daichi makes him some tea, having learned from watching Suga himself make it so many times. It probably isn’t as good as when he makes it but Suga holds the mug to his chest and sips at it anyway. 

“I’m going to go see how it looks, okay?” He doesn’t want to leave Suga when he’s like this but he has to know what’s been done. Suga nods and Daichi goes out the back door, breaking into a jog as he follows the short path to the greenhouse. The sight that greets him when he gets there stops him in his tracks. 

The door to the greenhouse is hanging off of it’s hinges and the outside is covered in spray painted insults. ‘Faggot’ is the most common one and a lump forms in Daichi’s throat. He swallows it and gently pushes the door to the side in order to see how the inside of the greenhouse faired. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that the inside is mostly intact. One of the bags of soil has been broken open and spread through half of the greenhouse and two of Suga’s empty crates are smashed, but it looks like something interrupted the destruction of the greenhouse. Only one plant is on the ground and half of a word is spray painted on the wall but Daichi thinks he could fix up the door and clean up the inside without too much trouble.

He makes his way back into the house, leaving his dirty shoes outside the back door, ready to comfort Suga but when he walks back into the kitchen Suga isn’t alone. Dr. Ukai is talking to him in a low tone but he looks up when Daichi enters the room.

“Ah, well Suga, I guess it’s time I was going. Have-” 

“Tell him too, Dr. Ukai. I won’t keep it from him and you’ll explain it better than I can.” 

“Then you’ll consider the treatment?”

“No, but Daichi should know what’s going on.” Daichi tried to catch Suga eye but he refused to look at him so he turns to Dr. Ukai instead.

Dr. Ukai glances at Suga one more time before he begins to explain. “Suga’s got a disease in his lungs. It’s lethal. Do you know what that means?” Daichi nods in response to the doctor’s question but the rest of whatever Dr. Ukai is saying gets lost as Daichi mind reels. 

Suga’s sick and he’s refusing treatment. Suga’s dying.

Dr. Ukai leaves to go talk to Mrs. Sugawara and Suga walks over to Daichi and places a hand on his bicep. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? Suga, I should be asking you that! Why aren’t you going to get the treatment? Could it save you?” Confusion couldn’t quite cover up the panic in his voice and Suga led him over to sit on the couch in the sun room, taking one of Daichi’s hands in his own before he answered.

“The treatment that Dr. Ukai mentioned… it could save my life, yes, but it could potentially end it faster. There’s only a 60% chance of it working and if it doesn’t work I’ll be dead in six months. With the way things are now… I could live for another year.” Suga said quietly.

“Only a year?” Daichi asked.

Suga looked away from him. “It’ll be okay. Mother can help you get another job; she’s very well connected.”

“Suga I don’t care about my job.”

“Is it me? Daichi don’t worry. You’ll forget about me in a few months.” Suga stood up from the couch and began walking towards the hallway. Dachi had no choice but to get up and follow him. “I’ll just be that fa-, freak you tutored for a little while that one summer.” Suga said as he opened the front door. 

“Suga!” Suga gently pushed Daichi out of the door. Then he leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Go home Daichi. We wouldn’t have been able to get anything done today anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Suga smiled at him and promptly shut the door before Daichi had a chance to argue.

~~~~

After that day Suga doesn’t kiss him anymore. Daichi wants to ask him why but with the way Suga’s been acting, he’s afraid of the answer. The summer is rolling by too quickly for him and since it looks like it will be the last one he has with Suga, he can’t help but wish time would slow down. Daichi’s beginning to realize that whatever Suga may think, he’ll never forget him. He’s too far in for that. He wants to tell Suga just how much he cares about him, wants to convince him to get the treatment, but he isn’t sure if it’s enough. 

He also isn’t sure Suga will believe him. 

So he bides his time, helping Suga to fix up the greenhouse and waiting for the right moment to tell him that he, Sawamura Daichi, is in love with him because even without the kisses and the hand holding, Daichi is absolutely in love with Sugawara Koushi. For the most part their relationship is the only thing Suga’s illness has affected. They still work on Latin, though not quite as diligently as before, and they still play catch and talk about their favorite books and drink tea. Suga quietly asked to spend more time in the greenhouse one day and Daichi is happy to oblige because though almost everything is the same, Suga isn’t. He is often sad, though he tries to hide it behind a smile, and has a hard time seeing the beauty in the world around him. Suga is different but otherwise life goes on as normal.

Daichi is just beginning to hope that maybe, by some miracle, Suga’s illness will get better on it’s own, when Suga collapses in the greenhouse. He’d been in the middle of working on some jasmine that he was trying to make grow on a small trellis that he’d made Daichi buy for him when it happened. One second he was talking about how little sleep he’d gotten the night before and the next he mentioned that he felt dizzy. The next thing Daichi knew, there was a thud and Suga was on the ground. He’d run over to him and called his name and though Suga had woken up, he’d felt weak so Daichi had picked him up, cradling him carefully against his chest, and brought him into the house. He had laid Suga onto the couch in the sun room and as Mrs. Sugawara wasn’t home, called Dr. Ukai himself.

Daichi made Suga some tea and kept him from getting up until Dr. Ukai got there and took over. The two men worked together to get Suga upstairs and in bed and Daichi waited outside of the room while the doctor examined him. Mrs. Sugawara came home during the exam and once Daichi explained what had happened to her she told him he could leave.

“With all due respect ma’am, I’d like to stay and try to talk to Suga about getting the treatment,” Daichi said, determination etched into every one of his features.

Mrs. Sugawara looked at him, exhaustion evident in her eyes. “Sawamura-san I appreciate that you care about him but he’s tired. All he sees in the future is the end. What can you say that could change his mind?” Daichi opened his mouth but found that he couldn’t think of what to say.

“Mrs. Sugawara?” Dr. Ukai stood behind them. He glanced at Daichi before addressing Mrs. Sugawara. “He’s getting worse. Without treatment he won’t last more than a month.”

“But there’s still hope if he gets treatment?” Daichi asked quickly.

“Well, yes but he’s still refusing it.” Dr. Ukai seemed skeptical but an idea was forming in Daichi’s mind. “Anyway Mrs. Sugawara could I speak with you privately?”

“Of course, doctor. Just one second,” With that Mrs. Sugawara turned back to Daichi, “Do you understand now?”

“I think I do ma’am but I’d still like to talk to him,” Daichi replied.

Mrs. Sugawara sighed and opened the door to Suga’s room for him but Daichi shook his head.

“I have to run home and get something first.”

~~~~

“This is Suga’s house? It’s huge!” Shouyou was looking around with wide eyes and Daichi muffled a chuckle at his reaction.

“Okay everyone remember that Suga is sick so we’re not going to make too much noise, okay?” Daichi was using his ‘big brother’ voice and five heads nodded seriously along with his words. He let out the breath he’d been holding and knocked on the door, nervous now that his plan was in action. Mrs. Sugawara could turn them away or Dr. Ukai could say that it was too late anyway or Suga could-

“Hey, focus on the here and now, okay?” Yui stood beside him, a hand on his shoulder and he smiled at her gratefully as the door opened. Mrs. Sugawara seemed surprised to see seven people when she had been expecting one but she let them in regardless and followed the group as Daichi led them up to Suga’s room. Here was where things got tricky. Daichi didn’t want to overwhelm Suga so he decides to send them in one at a time.

The first one he sends in is Asahi. In his hands he holds one of his favorite hair clips and as he reaches Suga’s bed he holds it out to him. “My brother said you could use some extra luck and this is my luckiest hair clip. You can borrow it if you want.”

Suga is clearly surprised to see him but he answers him anyway. “That’s kind of you Asahi-san. Thank you very much.” Asahi blushes as Suga clips his bangs back and Daichi takes it as a sign to send the next sibling in.

Chikara walks into the room and heads over to stand next to Asahi before he says, “I brought you my favorite book because Daichi says you like to read.”

Suga is still a little confused about what is happening but he takes the book and thanks Chikara politely. The younger boy only nods and replies that they should read it together some time.

Ryuu is next and Daichi feels his heart swell with love for his little brother as he watches Ryuu struggle to stay calm while he goes up to Suga. He’s got his soccer ball in his hands and he obviously really wants to kick it over to Suga but instead he places it on Suga’s knees more carefully than Daichi ever seen him do anything.

“My big brother said you’re bad at sports so I brought you my soccer ball so we could practice together! Then you can be on my team and we’ll beat him!” Ryuu announces. At this Suga actually laughs and after he thanks him, Ryuu steps back to stand next to Chikara.

Shouyou goes next and unlike Ryuu, he doesn’t hold back at all as he runs over to Suga’s bedside. “Suga-san! I colored you this picture! It’s got me and you and Dai-chan and some trees and my friend Kageyama, see?” Shouyou points to every part of his picture so Suga can see it all and when he hands it to Suga it’s with some special instructions.

“Now you have to color me one back because that’s fair, okay?”

“Of course, Shou-chan. I promise I will,” Suga agrees easily.

“Cross your heart?”

“Definitely,” Suga replies with a smile.

He’s still looking at Shouyou’s drawing when Yachi enters the room, Yui behind her. Yachi goes up to the bed first and holds out a small bouquet of flowers picked from the Sawamura’s backyard “Dai-chan said you like flowers so I picked my favorites for you.”

Suga took the flowers from her carefully. “They’re very nice. Thank you.”

Yachi nodded seriously. She leans in closer and pointed to each of the flowers, “That one is Maria and that’s Lily. This one is Sarah and her sister Mary and then last there’s Daichi. He’s named after my brother because he’s strong like him. He was really hard to pick! I got scared that I wouldn’t have anything to give you but then Dai-chan helped me pick him!”

At this point Suga’s eyes began to shine with unshed tears and Yui speaks up from where she’s been standing behind the other Sawamura children. 

She looks him straight in the eye and says, “There’s a lot to live for in this world.” He follows her gaze as she looks down at each of her siblings before darting back to glance at Daichi in his place just outside of the bedroom door.

“Why would you do all of this for me?” Suga asked quietly.

“I don’t know how anyone could miss it but you’re very important to our brother and so you’re very important to us too.” 

It’s then that Daichi comes into the room. His siblings back away from the bed to give him some space and he sits down on the edge of the bed, his body turned so that he’s only facing Suga. He moves slow, so Suga can stop him if he wants to, and when Suga doesn’t say a word, Daichi kisses him, soft and careful. He pulls away to see the tears falling from Suga’s eyes and as he reaches up with his thumb to wipe them away he says four little words.

“I love you, Suga.”

“I love you too,” Suga manages to get out. He pauses for a second to take a deep breath. “Thank you so much for all of this. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll get the treatment. Or at least say you’ll think about it,” Daichi tries not to plead though he isn’t sure if he succeeds.

Suga takes another deep breath and looks past Daichi to where his siblings are all standing together and then focuses back in on the boy in front of him. 

“I’ll get the treatment.” 


End file.
